Method of keying a padlock

ABSTRACT

A series of sheet metal plates are formed into laminations and openings are provided in them so that when they are stacked together the openings form a chamber of such size and configuration that it snugly accommodates the housing of a keyactuated mechanism. The cylinder plug has a keyway formed in it of such cross-sectional shape that it can receive keys of a number of different kinds. Appropriate pin tumblers are matched to a selected key and the mechanism then assembled in the padlock made up of the laminations, with the laminations set in a convenient jig and riveted together by hand.

United States Patent Russell [54] METHOD OF KEYING A PADLOCK [72] inventor: Frank W. Russell, Whittier, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Norris Industries, lnc'., Los Angeles,

- Calif.

[22] Filed: April 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 136,976

Schlage ..29/434 [451 -Oct.31,1972

PrimaryExaminer-Thomas H. Eager Attorney-Beehler, Arant & Jagger [5 7] ABSTRACT A series of sheet metal plates are formed into laminations and openings are provided in them so that when they are stacked together the openings form a chamber of such size and configuration that itsnugly accommodates the housing of a key-actuated mechanism. The cylinder plug has a keyway formed in it of such cross-sectional shape that it can receive keys of a number of different kinds. Appropriate pin tumblers are matched to a selected key and the mechanism then assembled in the padlock made up of the laminations, with the laminations set in a convenient jigand riveted together by hand.

' 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEUUCT a 1 m2 SHEET 2 0F 2 J 2 3 T1; u #m NR I m x Ml 24 f padlocks including those having a laminated case and a pin tumbler mechanism which undertakes to provide strength and security at low cost. This type of padlock is conventionally supplied as a complete item having its own keys and providing no possibility of it being operated by some other key such as a house key. Other types of padlocks currently available have the capability of being keyed alike to other types of locks, but these are limited to the extent that both the padlocks and such other types of locks must accept the same shaped key. Padlocks of this nature are customarily expensive and require the keyed alike feature to be normally accomplished by the manufacturer.

The invention here under consideration involves a system whereby some person such as a locksmith operating an individual shop can, by being given the key for a door lock of a residence, for example, actually construct a laminated padlock by use of his own limited facilities, the padlock so constructed being of low cost,

but at the same time having built inv it a security commensurate with the security of the door lock from which the key has been taken for matching. The same features of the padlock which make it possible to have it keyed to match the door lock render it also capable of being keyed to match any other lock which can accept a pin tumbler key-actuated mechanism. To be capable of having the newly manufactured padlock accept keys from door locks of different manufacturers, the pin tumbler key-actuated mechanism needs to be one having a keyway so'shaped that it can accept keys having cross-sectional shapes and sizes differing somewhat appreciably one from another.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved method for keying a padlock so that it will accept and operate with the same key customarily used for a conventional door lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method for keying a padlock so that a key-actuated mechanism can be made in such fashion that it operates by use of the same key as is used for a door lock, the padlock being capable of being formed so as to match and accept the new key-actuated mechanism and being constructed to contain such keyactuated mechanism in secure fashion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ,new and improved method for keying a padlock for operation by the same key as is used for other padlocks and at the same time by operation of the same key as is used for operating door locks of secure construction, thereby making it possible to key a specially secure padlock to match either other padlocks or door locks.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a laminated padlock exterior construction of the type used in the method.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing interior construction of the padlock.

2 FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing sundry parts used in the method. v FIG. 4 is a plan-view of a typical jig usable in assembling the padlock.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

tion. FIG. 7 is an exposed end view of a cylinder plug used FIG. 6 is a side elevational view partially broken away similar to FIG. 5 but showing the jig in open posiin the method.

Among structural parts illustrating the manner in which the method can-be practiced there is shown a padlock housing indicated generally by the reference character 10 provided with a substantially conventional shackle 11. A pin tumbler key-actuated mechanism is indicated by the reference character 12 and is shown in partially broken away form in FIG. 2 and exploded view in the upper central portion of FIG. 3. The key-actuated mechanism includes what may aptly be described as a pin tumbler housing 13, shown separately in FIG. 3, a cylindrical portion or barrel 14 of which is adapted to rotatably contain a cylinder plug 15. In the cylinder plug is a keyway 16 of special configuration such that, although capable of guiding a key into position so that it reacts properly with the necessary pin tumblers, the keyway 16 at the same time has what may be termed a universal configuration in that it is capable of receiving a variety of keys having different cross-sectional shapes such as might be adopted as standards by different manufacturers.

In I the finished and assembled key-actuated mechanism 12 as shown in FIG. 2 is a series of lower pin tumblers 17, 17 etc. mounted in tumbler bores 18, 18 etc. in the cylinder plug 15. These bores and tumblers align with upper pin tumblers 19, 19' respectively which are mounted in appropriate bores 20, 20, the bores 20, 20 being contained within a projection 21 of the pin tumbler housing 13. Conventional springs 22, 22' operate between the bottom of bores 20 and 20 and the respective upper pin tumblers 19.

The lower pin tumblers l7, 17' etc. are shown as being of different length such that when matching with cuts 23, 23 of a key 24, in the operation of the method herein disclosed, the opposite ends will be at the shear line 25. The pin tumblers 17, 17 are normally somewhat initially longer so that they can be sized with respect to a selected key whereby when the key is inserted end areas acting between pin tumblers I7, 17' and pin tumblers 19, 19' coincide at a shearline 25 whereby to permit the cylinder plug 15 to be rotated with respect to the pin tumbler housing to an unlocked position of the mechanism.

To make up the padlock body 10, there is provided a series of laminated members all having the same exterior shape and size, but being differently constructed on the interior. For example, a bottom lamination 30 is shaped on its interior differently from adjacent lower laminations 31. Intermediate laminations 32 are somewhat differently shaped on the interior, above which is an inside top lamination 33 and an outside top lamination 34. By coding the laminations 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 with numbers or other insignia, the workman will always have a guide as to how the laminations with openings 44 shaped such that when they are stacked together they form a cylindrical chamber 45 in alignment with the circular opening 40. An approximately rectangular chamber 46 extending on one side from the chamber 45 is adapted to accommodate the projection 21 and a somewhat similar chamber 47 extends on the opposite side to accommodate the spring 52 and a long leg 48 of the shackle 11. I

The shackle 11 has also a short leg 49. The long leg is adapted to project through bearing holes 50 and 51 and into thechamber 47, where the lower end of the long .leg 48 is in engagement with a spring 52. The short leg 49 is adapted to extend through access apertures 53 and 54 when the shackle is snapped to a locked position. A stop lug 55 on the long leg 48 retains the long leg in engagement with the body by engagement of the stop lug with the inside plate lamination when the shackle is in its outermost position, as shown in FIG. 2.

A locking plate 56 is adapted to engage a segment 57 of the cylinder plug so as to be rotated by action of the cylinder plug whereby to move locking lugs 58 and Upon the bottom lamination are placed the lower laminations 31 in stacked relationship, with each being properly positioned in the stack by reference to the aforementioned coding. The rivets 42 are then passed through. this stack of laminations in an upward direction, first through holes 41 of the bottom laminations 30 and extending through holes 43 of the lower 59 respectively out of engagement with a heel notch 60 i in the long leg and a toe notch 61 in the short leg. Engagement of the locking plate 56 with the segment 57 also serves to retain the cylinder plug 15 in assembled condition in the cylinder mechanism 12. A large substantially rectangular opening 64 in the intermediate laminations 32 when assembled provides spacefor accommodation of the locking plate 56. A torsion spring 62 retained on a boss 63 adjacent the segment 57 acts between the wall of the chamber 64 and the locking plate 56 to normally rotate the locking plate to locked position, from which it can be rotated by manipulation of the cylinder plug 15 through the agency of the key 24.

Rivet holes 43 in the lower laminations 31 accommodate the rivets 42, and the rectangular opening 64 is of a size to permit the rivets to pass through the intermediate laminations 32 without need for specially providing rivet holes and yet maintain alignment. Similar rivet holes 66 in the inside top, lamination 33 and rivet holes 67 in the outside top lamination 34 accommodate the rivets 42 so that they protrude out- 68 to hold the laminations in assembled condition.

In the operation of the method the first step is to insert the selected key 24 in the cylinder plug 15 and the pin tumblers properly sized in order to key them in the cylinder plug to the selected key. Whether the key be of onecross-sectional shape or another, it is sufficient only that it be capable of being accepted in the keyway 16 for the pin tumbler sizing step. Following this the cylinder plug 15 and its pin tumblers 17, 17 is assembled with the pin tumbler housing 13 containing upper pin tumblers 19, 19 and springs 22, 22', and the assembly. Addition of the locking plate 56 retains the plug 15 within the cylinder housing 14 thus forming the completed cylinder assembly 12 for insertion in the padlock housing.

wardly and can ultimately be formed with rivet heads laminations 31. This group of parts thus assembled is positioned within the nesting pins 72 of the jig generally indicated by the character reference 71, and so positioned to have the heads of rivets 40 and the bottom lamination 30 adjacent the base 70 of the jig 71. Additionally the intermediate laminations 32 are stacked in proper position over the rivets 42 and between the nesting pins 72. The assembly now presents the major portion of the padlock housing 10 creating the chamber and-openings 45, 46, 47 and 64 receivable of and properly retaining in operation alignment the shackle spring 52, the cylinder mechanism 12, including the locking plate 56, and the torsion spring 62. The shackle 11 is then assembled with the inside top laminations 33 and the outside top laminations 34. This is accomplished by inserting the short leg 49 of the shackle 11 in an inverted position first through the bearing hole 51 of the inside top lamination 33 and then through the bearing hole 50 of the outside top lamination 34 and continuing to loop the shackle 11 until the long leg 48 is properly positioned within the V bearing holes 50, 51 respectively of the top laminations 33, 34. The long leg 48 of the shackle 11 is then inserted into the chamber 47 and the top laminations 33,. 34 are placed over the rivets 42 and between the nesting pins 72 ofthejig 71.

Once the foregoing has been accomplished, a lever 73 acting through a linkage 74 and 75 serves to move a clamping arm 76 to the position shown in FIG. 5 where an over-center action locks the linkage in the position shown. A screw 77 can be adjusted in proper position and there secured by lock nuts 78 and 79 so that in the over-center position all of the laminations are pushed firmly against each other and held in such position. By use of a hand tool 80 having an end pocket 81 applied successively over the tops of the rivets 42, the tool when subjected to a driving operation forms the rivet heads 68, thereby to anchor the parts of the padlock as sembly in operating relationship. The jig is of such simple construction and the successive steps in the operation sufficiently simple and properly coded, that a laminated padlock body with the specially keyed pin tumbler key-actuated mechanism can be assembled in a small shop by hand thereby to make a secure padlock, one which is effectively keyed alike with respect to' the lock from which the key 24 is taken or on the other hand can be keyed to match other padlocks with which the key 24 fits. v

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be a practical and effective embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent:

1. A method for keying and assembling a padlock key-actuated mechanism comprising using a series of individual laminations having matching interior open portions complementary in shape to the exterior shape of said key-actuated mechanism,

using a keyway in said key-actuated mechanism of 5 selected cross-sectional form,

pinning said key-actuated mechanism to match one key of selected cross-sectional configuration,

assembling said laminations in sequence wherein said matching open portions form a chamber for reception of said key-actuated mechanism,

placing said key-actuated mechanism in said chamber,

placing said shackle mechanism in operating relationship with said key-actuated mechanism and said laminations, and

then riveting said laminations, said key-actuated mechanism, and said shackle mechanism together in assembled operating relationship.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein there is another security device available having 'a second key of difopening large enough to accommodate the selected key and sufficiently small to have the laminations close the chamber in which the key-actuated mechanism is located.

4. The method of claim 1 including holding the laminations in alignment by exterior pressure and holding the laminations in contact with each other by endwise pressure while they are being riveted together.

5. The method of claim 1 including coding the laminations in the sequence they should have when in assembled condition, the coding being done prior to assembly. 

1. A method for keying and assembling a padlock and shackle mechanism therefor with a pin tumbler key-actuated mechanism comprising using a series of individual laminations having matching interior open portions complementary in shape to the exterior shape of said key-actuated mechanism, using a keyway in said key-actuated mechanism of selected crosssectional form, pinning said key-actuated mechanism to match one key of selected cross-sectional configuration, assembling said laminations in sequence wherein said matching open portions form a chamber for reception of said key-actuated mechanism, placing said key-actuated mechanism in said chamber, placing said shackle mechanism in operating relationship with said key-actuated mechanism and said laminations, and then riveting said laminations, said key-actuated mechanism, and said shackle mechanism together in assembled operating relationship.
 2. The method as in claim 1 wherein there is another security device available having a second key of different cross-sectional configuration, including providing said keyway with a cross-sectional shape in which keys of both cross-sectional shapes are acceptable, pinning said key-actuated mechanism to fit said second key instead of said one key.
 3. The method of claim 1 including using the end lamination at the end opposite said shackle with an opening large enough to accommodate the selected key and sufficiently small to have the laminations close the chamber in which the key-actuated mechanism is located.
 4. The method of claim 1 including holding the laminations in alignment by exterior pressure and holding the laminations in contact with each other by endwise pressure while they are being riveted together.
 5. The methoD of claim 1 including coding the laminations in the sequence they should have when in assembled condition, the coding being done prior to assembly. 